Youngest Knight of the Order
by Ameioka
Summary: Completed. Please read and review.
1. Rough Start

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. This is EU, and could probably be slightly AU. The planets and major events have been heavily researched so as to match the universe as much as possible.  
  
People involved:  
  
Kari Da-na – Jedi Master  
  
Apprentices: Alre and Ralo  
  
Keji Lele – Jedi Master  
  
Apprentices: Joza and Anshi  
  
Amge Padane – Jedi Master  
  
Apprentice: Sichi  
  
Pallyn Asmo – Jedi Knight  
  
Sada Diqu – Sith Lord  
  
Nolu Edko – Sith Lord  
  
Apprentice: Ahxa   
  
Ara Medea – Sith Witch  
  
Totte Lexa – Slave Dealer  
  
Waju Prige – Slaver  
  
Selo Gefi – Slave Owner  
  
Lako Yakoma – Fruit Dealer  
  
Tamy'Choto and Laty'Choto – Art Dealers  
  
Planets involved:   
  
Dalastine   
  
Ziost   
  
Coruscant  
  
Ruusan   
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
CRACK! CRACKLE! Master Keji Lele looked up from the datapad he was reading.  
  
Uh-huh, he thought. Joza and Anshi are sparring again. We're here to fight and eliminate Sith, not each other. But then again with as close as those two are to each other...I'm not gonna stop them. They are my apprentices so if they wish to spar– Lele reached out suddenly in the Force.  
  
Sith were nearby and there was something different about this one Sith.   
  
A girl, he thought startled. A Sith Witch.  
  
Joza. Anshi. To me. Now, he sent.   
  
Almost instantly it seemed they were entering the room, putting their cloaks on.  
  
"Yes, Master. What is it?" Joza asked.  
  
"Sith."  
  
Instantly Joza's eyes hardened. Lele regretted saying it. Jozas' twin sister had become a Sith Witch when she had found out her sister was a Jedi but not her. The Council hadn't wanted to have twin Jedis' for fear one would get chosen by a master but the other wouldn't. Joza herself had destroyed her sister. She hadn't been the same since.  
  
Not saying anything else Lele grabbed his cloak and headed for the door.  
  
Meanwhile the Sith Witch turned and smiled at two of her Sith companions.  
  
"They're coming. Stick to the plan and the girl will be one of us before it is all over with," she purred.  
  
The Sith smiled hideously. There was nothing like turning a Jedi and an apprentice even, to the Dark Side.  
  
Joza froze as they made their way to through the jungle. Something was banging around in the back of her mind. She tried to grab it but it was gone before she could do anything else. Anshi stopped to look at her but she had already caught up.  
  
"Something wrong," he whispered.  
  
"Ask me later," she replied.  
  
Anshi would've said something more but got cut off because of crashing into Amge, Padane, another one of Jedi Masters there on assignment on Zoist. Sichi Anok, Padanes' apprentice helped the two of them up. Sichi glanced at her old friend, Joza. She could tell something was wrong. Joza gave a shake of her head. Now wasn't the time to ask.  
  
It didn't take long to catch up with the other Jedi who had come and Master Lele. They stopped outside of a huge old temple. Lele and many of the other Jedi pulled their sabers out and ignited them. Joza didn't follow her Masters' example though. She was staring upwards at the temple. There was a presence there that she had felt before. It had been there...  
  
Joza gave her head a shake and focused back on her Master.   
  
He raised an eyebrow.  
  
Several dozen, she sent.  
  
He nodded.  
  
Amge looked at the young woman startled. Sichi was always telling about how Joza is strong in the Living Force. Amge hadn't thought that Joza was that strong though. Being able to see how many Sith there were inside of one place? Surely Joza was twice as strong as Lele in the Force. Or was it because she...  
  
Joza had ignited her saber and was finally ready. Lele and Padane lead the way to get inside. Joza froze again realizing what it was that had been bugging her earlier. The Force presence that she had been detecting had been there when she and Netoa had fought. The Sith Witch was waiting on her and wanted revenge. The Sith here were just a distraction.  
  
Fine. If they want me they can have me but only in a fight, she thought. Anshi looked at her. He knew something was gonna happen. He could feel the anger in Joza and knew that only one other person could feel it. She had grown darker ever since she had destroyed Netoa. Anshi wished that there was somebody else who could tell. He shook his head. This was going to be bloody.  
  
Lele kicked opened the door and sliced a Sith Lord in half the next instant. The battle was on. Seven Jedi Masters and Knights with their Apprentices raced through the door and were engaged in battle in only a matter of seconds. Everyone except Joza was in battle that is. Joza found a set of stairs and proceeded upwards. No Sith challenged her. Amge Padane saw Joza run up the stairs, but didn't have time to think about it for even an instant.  
  
Joza ran up the stairs two at a time and reached the top, having been challenged by no one. Cautiously she walked around one pillar after another. She could feel three darkside servants rather well. And she was ready when one of them attacked but was only half ready when the second one attacked. Joza got clear and back flipped up and over onto a railing and balanced there for a few moments. She looked around and her face hardened when she saw the Witch lurking nearby.  
  
"Takes four people to play this game, huh," she snarled.  
  
Reach out into the Living Force, Joza let it fill her and guide her. She closed her eyes and immersed herself. Flipping forward she came down between the Sith, but her eyes were still closed. Shoving away one lightsaber she blocked the other and dropped to one knee. In doing so, she used one Sith saber to block the other.   
  
Forward somersaulting, then spinning on one foot blocked a side-sweeping blow from one of the Sith Lords. Shoving his blade back, she swung her up and around and cut the Sith in half.  
  
Infuriated, the Sith remaining screamed and charged her in blind rage. Joza was driven back by the ferocity of the attacks. She turned and ran suddenly–the Sith, howling curses, followed. Joza ran up a wall and flipped over the Sith Lord. With one smooth motion, from above her head, she brought her lightsaber down cutting the Siths' lightsaber handle just below the blade. Joza waited until the second she felt her saber free, then stepped forward and cleanly sliced off his head.  
  
Turning, Joza disengaged her lightsaber. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Surveying the room, she realized that she was alone. The Witch was gone, but Joza couldn't tell for sure. Closing her eyes. And once more reaching out into the Force, she searched.  
  
The Witch turned and began to go down the hallway to her ship. She would've made it too, if Joza hadn't stepped out from behind a pillar, her blue lightsaber blazing in her hand.  
  
"Going somewhere," she asked.  
  
The Witch gave Joza a wicked smile. It sent an involuntary shudder through Joza. The woman smiled even more.  
  
"Hello, young Jedi. I've been wanting to talk to you. What took you so long," she asked.  
  
Joza looked at her through narrow eyes.  
  
"You've been wanting to talk to me? Why?"  
  
"My name is Ara Medea."  
  
"What's that got to do anything?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
Joza stood looking at the Witch bewildered. Why would a Sith witch want to talk to her? Unless she had been there when Joza had...  
  
She didn't react fast enough to block the Force lightening that suddenly seemed to radiate from Ara Medea. The initial shock didn't do much except to lift Joza up off of her feet. A second blast though flung her backwards into a pillar, momentarily knocking her unconscious.  
  
Ara smiled again. She reached into the young Jedi's mind and searched it. After finding what she wanted, she laughed coldly as she left. Meanwhile downstairs, Anshi had helping Master Lele with two Sith Lords. The Sith were proving to be difficult to eliminate. Anshi felt a sudden surge in the Force.  
  
Seeing him hesitate the Sith lord took advantage of it. Anshi yelled when he felt the lightsaber bite into the flesh on his arm. He swung his lightsaber around and down, cutting the Siths' head in half. He spun, stabbing the Sith Lord who was fighting Lele, in the back.  
  
Joza needs help, he sent.  
  
But where is she, Lele asked.  
  
They headed in the direction that Anshi had last seen Joza. Padane and Sichi followed close behind. They never made it though. Joza ran out of a hallway with three Sith on her tail. She almost collided into Lele. Within a few seconds Joza and Lele were back to back.   
  
Everybody out. There are too many Sith. Joza sent to the rest of the Jedi. Everybody headed for the door. Lele and Joza were running behind providing cover. Joza glanced to one side and noticed a power generator. She nudged Lele with the Force and pointed it out to him. He nodded and took up a defensive position behind her. Joza pulled out a thermal detonator and threw it inside of the machine.  
  
Lele and Joza raced from the building. Using the Force she triggered the bomb. Unbeknownst to the two, a sith apprentice had seen her throw something inside of the generator. He ran outside in search of his Master.   
  
"Master Diqu. Master Diqu."  
  
Sada Diqu turned from talking to Nolu Edko, a fellow Sith.  
  
"What is it, Ahxa ?"  
  
"I just saw one of the Jedi–," he got cut off by an explosion.  
  
The building that he had just been in was burning into nothingness.   
  
"So much for that plan. When I see that Medea I intend on taking her head off. Now everyone of the Sith save the three of us and her are dead. One girl is not worth it!", Edko snarled.  
  
Ahxa looked at his Masters' friend. How anyone would want to take on a female sith, who was probably as powerful as the Dark Lord, was something he couldn't understand—yet.   
  
Lele turned to look behind himself for the hundredth time. He was positive that there was someone else in the alley with them but he wasn't sure.  
  
"Um...Master...they're in front of us. Not behind," Anshi told him.   
  
Lele turned and smiled when he saw who it was. The Jedi Master whom he had felt stepped forward. Lele moved to greet his old friend and Master, Kari Da-na. Padane came up beside him.   
  
Joza, Anshi, and Sichi followed.   
  
The Jedi Masters' began talking to themselves. Master Da-na had two apprentices, Alre Joru and Ralo Evam. The apprentices all stood off to one side talking to each other. Joza felt someone watching them. Looking to her left she spotted a Jedi Knight standing in the shadows. She recognized him as being Pally Asmo.  
  
He was a Jedi not liked by most of his fellow Jedi. It was rumored that he helped the slavers obtain slaves. No one could ever prove it though, not even the Masters of the Council. Most everybody knew Asmo would not be a Jedi much longer. He had grown defiant of the Council. He looked at Joza when he realized that he had been discovered. He backed up and disappeared into the shadows.  
  
Joza realized that he hadn't wanted to be seen. She remembered something with a start. He had not been given the assignment to come to Ziost.   
  
What is he doing here? And why didn't he want to be seen? That doesn't make any sense. Unless he's gone dark, joza shivered at the thought. She hoped her cloak had hidden it.  
  
Padane noticed Joza shiver. She wondered why. It was almost as if she was reading an open book but the language it was written in was unknown to her. It strengthed her resolve to talk to the young woman when she got the chance.  
  
Joza continued to look in the direction that Asmo had gone. She glanced at her Master and the others. They were now talking about the next time they would meet the Sith. She slipped off in the direction Asmo had gone. Once she realized where it was that she was going she couldn't help but smile.  
  
The marketplace was one of her favorite places on Ziost. As she entered the market she thought that she felt a familiar presence near her. It was gone before she could reach out to it.  
  
As she entered the marketplace, she passed several vendors who looked up and smiled at her. They had been distrustful of the Jedi Padawan at first, but after a few days they had gotten to know her and trusted her. Some were so bold around her now that they openly talk around her about most anything. Including what they thought of the girl.  
  
Joza stopped at one stall that had one of the most lovable people she had met on Ziost. Lako Yakoma looked up from her cutting board and smiled broadly when she saw who it was.  
  
"Hey, Joza. How's it going?" Lako asked.  
  
Joza gave Lako a grin.  
  
"Better than it was several minutes ago."  
  
"Had some action, huh?," Lako asked.  
  
Joza gave a grave nod.  
  
"Hey got something for you. I think you'll like it," Lako said as she handed a piece of fruit to her.  
  
Joza took a bite and her eyes flew open in surprise.  
  
"Wow. This is really sweet. I don't think I've ever had anything so sweet. What is it?," she asked.  
  
Lako laughed. "It's called a Mango. Enjoy. I'm able to start importing a few each week. I wanted you to have the first taste."  
  
Joza nodded her thanks. She would've said it, but she had a mouthful of Mango. Joza moved down the street, waving good-bye to her marketplace friend. She chewed the fruit slowly. As she was eating the last piece, she stopped at an art dealers booth whose name was Tamy'Choto. He had been one of the first vendors to be-friend the young Jedi.   
  
Joza pulled a bag off of her belt. It had a surprise for Tamy. Tamy came out and went right over to Joza and swept her up into a huge hug. A Twi'lek trader, he had a soft spot for Joza.  
  
"Hey, tamy. Guess what I have for you," Joza questioned him.  
  
"Hmm. Something really cool looking?" he replied.  
  
"Close. Crystals. All shapes and colors. See," Joza carefully emptied the bag onto a small table of Tamy to see. He gave a low whistle.  
  
"How did you find these?," he asked.  
  
"Let's just say that I have a really big sense of curiosity, and leave it at that."  
  
"Judging by the way you say that, I'd say that it's gotten you into trouble before."  
  
Joza looked down at her feet, then looked back up at him with a mischievous grin. He laughed.  
  
"I see you later, Tamy. I, uh, have some thing's I have to take careof. Bye."  
  
Joza turned and made her way back into the street, waving good-bye as she went. Tamy watched her go and turned to his wife as she came.  
  
"One of these days that girl is going to be one hell of a Jedi."  
  
Laty nodded. It was obvious that the young woman was special. Tamy picked up the crystals and followed his wife back into the tent.  
  
Joza walked down the street calling out greetings to many of the venders by name. Several stopped her and talked to her. Padane watched the young Jedi as she walked and talked to the people. She was amazed at how people seemed to know her.  
  
She shook her head, not wanting to believe what Master Da-na had told her. Joza had been the subject of strong debate in the Council. Many of them had sensed a major change in her. Now several of them wanted to recall her back to Coruscant. Masters Da-na and Heber Grepa though had held out against it. Now Da-na wanted Padane to keep an eye on Joza. There was nothing in Joza that suggested the Dark Side.  
  
Yet there were small things such as Joza sensing Sith numbers. Running off in the middle of a fight. Re-appearing suddenly as if nothing happened. Padane shook her head. If Joza was falling to the Dark Side, it was in the worst way— willingly.  
  
Meanwhile, Ralo was grilling Anshi about the fighting techniques that the Sith had employed. He kept a constant journal about things like that. More than once the Council had asked to see the notes he had taken.   
  
Anshi sensed that Ralo had a question, but didn't want to ask it.  
  
"Come on, Ralo. Out with it," Anshi ordered.  
  
Ralo looked at him uncertainly, then blurted out, " Has Joza fallen to the Dark Side?"  
  
Anshi looked at him startled. He could've sworn that only he had felt Jozas' change. Yet here was Ralo, who hadn't even been on the planet, asking him if Joza was going dark. Ralo watched Anshi become lost in thought.  
  
I thought Anshi would know. What if he doesn't? What if she's actually not? By the Force, don't let her be, he thought. 


	2. Apprentices and Masters

Chapter Two  
  
Joza was outside of the palace, as she and Anshi called it, meditating. Anshi was in the library getting very bored. She grinned as she sensed it.  
  
Spar? She sent.  
  
Yeah sure. Of course you realize though that you're asking to be beaten. You can't win against me, he replied.  
  
Oh brother. How many times have I heard that line before? Joza told him teasingly.  
  
Within a couple of minutes, Anshi was there and ready to go. Joza stood up and faced him.   
  
"You know, I didn't know any better, I'd say that you looked forward to me winning these matches," Joza told him with a grin.  
  
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you like to be humiliated by me."  
  
"I hate to tell you this but, nobody is ever around when we fight so how can I be humiliated," Joza taunted.   
  
Anshi rolled his eyes and ignited his saber. Joza mimicked him and took up a defensive position. Anshi struck first. He brought his lightsaber down and around on the right. Joza blocked it easily.  
  
"What was wrong yesterday," Anshi asked as he stepped back and attacked again, this time from the left.  
  
Joza blocked it as well.  
  
"I sensed a presence that had been there when I defeated Netoa." Joza spun and aimed her lightsaber low.  
  
Anshi blocked then went high again.  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
Joza ducked out of the way and slammed her saber into his.  
  
"Ara Medea. A very powerful Sith Witch. The woman can use Force Lightening."  
  
Anshi pulled his saber free. He brought the blade around at stomach range and feinted left. Joza anticipated it and her blade was waiting for his.  
  
"A lot of Sith can use Force Lightening."  
  
Anshi swung his blade at Joza's back. She ducked and kicked his legs out from underneath of him. Anshi rolled up onto his hands and hand-sprigged onto his feet. Joza brought her saber down hard. Anshi just barely blocked it.  
  
"Yeah, so what? They can only use it with their hands. Medea...it seemed like she was nothing but Force Lightening."  
  
Anshi used the Force to push Joza back. She back flipped and landed in a crouch. Her lightsaber blazed above her head as she held it there. Anshi was careful in getting up.  
  
"What's the matter, Anshi? Getting old?"  
  
Anshi shot Joza a look. She just laughed. He attacked and Joza leapt clear, but came right back down again. The two went at it as if there was never going to be another chance.  
  
Sichi heard sabers at work and came running. She stopped when she saw who it was. She leaned against the wall and watched as the two circled each other. Joza glanced up and noticed Sichi standing there. Anshis' and her sabers' clashed into another deadlock.  
  
"Hey, Sichi. How's it going?"  
  
Anshi turned to look. Joza took advantage of it and gave Anshi a light kick in the chest. He fell backwards and sat down practically.  
  
Joza grinned and dis-engaged her saber.  
  
"I'm okay. I don't think Anshi would say the same though," Sichi said with a chuckle.  
  
Anshi stood and walked over to one of the benches. He sprawled out on it on his stomach.  
  
"To say the very least," he said.  
  
Joza plopped onto the ground and leaned against the building. Sichi sat next to her.  
  
"You know one of these days, you two are going to end up killing each other in one of your sparring matches," Sichi told them.  
  
"I doubt that, Sichi. Joza and I are very in tune to the others fighting styles. If something were to happen it would be because something suddenly went wrong with the sabers," Anshi said.  
  
"This sunshine feels good," he added.  
  
The trio sat and laid quietly in the sun for a few minutes.  
  
Alre and Ralo went walking past then turned around and came back.  
  
"You three are the laziest Padawans in the entire order," Ralo announced.  
  
Joza's response was quick.  
  
"No, we're not. I'll have you know we are doing something very serious."  
  
"Oh yeah. What?" Alre wanted to know.  
  
"Absorbing sun shine and storing it away that way the next time we are on a cold planet, we can call it up and keep our selves warm," Anshi quipped.  
  
They all laughed. Alre laid down in the sun, while Ralo just sat on the balcony. Anshi rolled over onto his back.  
  
"Ah. Nothing like a tan. Speaking of tans, hey Joza," Anshi said. Joza was the palest out of the two of them. She also didn't tan— just burned.  
  
She threw a small rock at him. It bonked him on the head.   
  
Anshi pretended to be knocked out.  
  
"Finally. Maybe now we can have some peace and quiet," Joza commented.  
  
"I doubt that. Ralo's here," Alre said.   
  
"Hey!"  
  
The girls laughed. They were always ganging up on each other.  
  
"At least I know when not to say something," Ralo said.  
  
Alre groaned.  
  
"You're not gonna let me live that down are you," she asked.  
  
"Not until you're a knight or the Sith are exterminated. Which ever one comes first," Ralo told her.  
  
Sichi snorted.   
  
"That'll be a long time from now."  
  
"Not necessarily. The Sith have lost the last six major battles against Lord Hoth. Word has it, the next battle is our last battle. We either win it or lose it," Joza said.  
  
The apprentices were silent as they thought about this.   
  
"A sobering thought. Well I have to get going. I promised Master Padane that I would meet in the library," Sichi said as she got up.  
  
"Okay. Talk to you later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"See you later."  
  
"Have fun."  
  
Anshi stood up off of his bench.  
  
"That reminds me. Ralo, you and me have work that we have to do."  
  
Ralo nodded and the two left. Joza stood up and walked over to the balcony. She turned and looked at Alre.  
  
"I'm gonna go for a walk. Wanna come?," she asked.  
  
"Nah. I'm gonna go find my master and see if he needs help with anything," Alre stood and walked inside. She called back over her shoulder, "Don't get in any trouble."  
  
Joza shook her head.  
  
"You pull one little prank and you're pinned for life."  
  
She headed off into the woods.   
  
  
  
Ara Medea sat in meditation. Nolu Edko came in quietly behind her. She turned and smiled at him.  
  
"You're angry about yesterday, still?", she asked him in a mocking voice.  
  
"Yes. One girl isn't worth it," he snarled back.  
  
Medea laughed coldly.  
  
Edko glared at her.  
  
"Would you mind telling me what is so funny?"  
  
Medea stood up.  
  
"Do you remember my apprentice, Netoa?"  
  
Nolu nodded.   
  
"How could I forget her? She was the second most powerful apprentice in the entire order. She had the most potential out of anybody to be the next Dark Lord. But no. She had to be killed by a Jedi Padawan."  
  
"And the Jedi responsible is this girl. I either want her as my apprentice or dead. Also the only reason that she was able to defeat my Netoa was because they were twins!"  
  
Edkos' eyes became wide.  
  
"You mean to tell that...," Edko couldn't believe his ears.  
  
"Why should that surprise, Edko?"  
  
Pally Asmo stepped out of the shadows. Walking, almost sauntering, over to Medea, he kissed her gently on the cheek.  
  
"Hello, Ara."  
  
"Hello, Pally. Nolu Edko meet Pally Asmo, a Jedi Knight. Also, my son," She said with obvious pride.  
  
Edko raised an eyebrow.   
  
"You're son is a Jedi Knight?"  
  
Medea flicked her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"You'd be surprised at all that I've arranged over the years."  
  
Edko would've said something snide, but his gut told to take her for her word.   
  
Joza watched the exchange in shock. The most disliked Jedi in the Order was the son of a Sith Witch. No wonder he had such a bad reputation in using the Dark Side frequently.  
  
Joza reached into her mind trying to figure out what had led her to her. There was nothing...that she could feel with the Light Side of the Force. Now if she were to use the Dark Side then she could find out.   
  
NO!, she told herself. Don't give in to what you did. The past is just that past. Don't let it control you!!  
  
Medea smiled. She had felt the Jedi girl come in. She could feel the conflict within.  
  
Medea looked into the shadows at Joza.   
  
"Come out, my apprentice. Come out. Meet your fellow Sith."  
  
Joza stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"You have a lot of nerve calling me your apprentice. Cuz I'm not."  
  
Medea smiled causing Joza to shiver.  
  
"All in good time. My young friend. All in good time."  
  
Asmo felt angry. How could his mother feel that this brat was worthy of being a Sith? An apprentice to her? Medea put a hand on her sons' shoulder.  
  
"Come now, Joza. Surely you would like an opportunity to remove the man from the Order. Fight her, Pallyn."  
  
Asmo brought his green saber down, intending to kill Joza. She wasn't there though. She had leapt clear and was several feet away from where she had been originally been standing. Pallyn charged her. Joza reached out into the Force and caught him. Then she used the Force to throw him back. Asmo froze then flew backwards as if he had been hit by a hovercar.   
  
Joza used the Force to throw a cloud of dust onto the Sith. She turned and ran. She slid out of the door and headed for the woods. Asmo beat her though. He stood in her way and gave fer a feral grin.   
  
"You should accepted my mother's offer."  
  
"The day I become a Sith is the day the Order is no more."  
  
Asmo snarled at her and charged again. Joza waited until the last second and then side to the right. Asmo flew by her and landed hard on the ground. He didn't move, which Joza was glad of. She summoned his saber to her.  
  
"I don't think you'll be needing this anymore."  
  
Joza turned and ran hard. When she was almost back to the palace she slowed down and walked. She had taken a different route back. She hoped that there wouldn't be anybody outside.   
  
Joza paused as she felt the air around her grow cooler. She sucked her breath in.  
  
A thunderstorm. Medea really is a strong Sith, Joza thought as she felt the Force crackling around her. Dark grey and black clouds filled the skies. The wind began to pick up and grow stronger.  
  
Joza walked a little bit faster. She didn't want to run though. This storm was matching her mood.   
  
Sichi and Master Padane raced inside to escape the rain. It was coming down hard and fast. The two had been outside practicing with their sabers. Sichi decided to go see if Joza was around. She walked past the library where Alre and Ralo were arguing. Master Padane was talking to Master Da-na now. And Anshi was going over something with Master Lele. Yet no sign of Joza.  
  
Joza sat in the window of her room. She was using the Force to play with the lightening. Sichi knocked on the open. Joza looked at her and grinned.  
  
"The doors open. Why knock?"  
  
"Because we are Jedi and Jedi are polite to everyone and everything. Even best friends," Sichi said as she sat down on Jozas' bed.  
  
Joza came over and joined.  
  
"Your hairs wet. Were you outside when the storm hit?"  
  
Joza nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I kinda figured you'd notice that somehow. Especially seeing as how I'm not in Jedi clothes and my boots are over drying by the fire."  
  
Sichi laughed at her friend. Joza was always being sarcastic if not realistic. Sichi looked around the small room.  
  
"Why did you take the smallest room."  
  
"Easier to keep warm."  
  
"If I didn't know you any better, I'd say that you were from a desert world."  
  
Joza laughed. In realty, Joza was from a world that was an outpost for the Republic. It was more of an ice world than anything else. Joza laughed again as she watched Sichi start to try and put one of the many puzzles in her room, together.   
  
Sichi started to become frustrated and reached out into the Force.  
  
"No, Sichi. Use your mind. Think about it. These puzzles are not meant to be solved using the Force."  
  
Sichi looked at the puzzle then at Joza.  
  
"How about helping me put it together then?"  
  
Joza smiled.  
  
"Bring it over here."  
  
Heber Grepa stood talking with another member of the Council. The move to Coruscant from Ossus had been some time ago, but they still didn't have everything put away. All around Grepa and Gely Hoca, Jedi bustled about putting things away. Yet there was more to it. Lord Hoth had announced the location of the last battle. Now everybody was getting ready.  
  
Grepa after a few more moments, walked to her room. The tall lilac Twi'lek moved with ease down the halls. After she reached her room, she closed the door behind her. She went to the middle of the floor and knelt to begin meditating.   
  
The only thing on her mind these days seemed to be her former student Joza Miwe. She had sensed changes in Joza. Disturbing changes. The kind of changes that Lord Malak had exhibited so long ago. The ones that lead to his downfall as a Jedi and his triumph as a Sith Lord.  
  
Heber felt a twinge of sorrow. If Joza was to fall to the Dark Side, she would be a powerful Sith Lord. Maybe...too powerful for any Jedi to beat her. Heber shook the thought from her head. Joza was a smart girl. She understood what the decisions she made would do.  
  
Heber smiled as one of the many memories of Joza floated into her mind. It had been a few years ago. Joza had turned up missing and Master Lele was just about going out of his head trying to find her. They had scoured the temple but had turned up no trace of the girl. Finally, she went to the library and low and behold, there was Joza. Reading a book on the fauna of the world Naboo.  
  
Heber laughed. From then when nobody could find Joza, they always looked in the library first. Heber thought that, when Joza was old and no longer able to have an apprentice or go out on missions, that the council should probably offer the job of archive librarian to her. Joza though had to survive the war, and many, many, many missions before that.  
  
Which led Heber to thinking on something else. Joza had many friends, both Jedi and non-Jedi. Joza herself was responsible for about fifteen to seventeen of the students being at the temple.  
  
Joza, please be good. Don't do anything that would force you to chose your allegiance, Heber thought to herself.   
  
She rose. It was time to start preparing for the Battle of Ruusan. 


	3. Dark Rumblings

Chapter Three  
  
Jozas' danger senses were on fire and with the way that everybody was acting in the marketplace, she had a good reason to. She walked rapidly to where the Chotos' booth was at. Tamy was rolling his canopy up.  
  
"Tamy, what's going on? Why is everybody carrying their blasters and packing up their tents," Joza asked.  
  
Tamy stopped and stretched. Joza helped him finish folding the cloth.  
  
"The slavers are here."  
  
Joza felt cold and sick inside.  
  
"They came in last night and already there are over one hundred people missing."  
  
Tamy looked at Joza. She had a very dark expression on her face.  
  
"Joza?"  
  
She looked at him and her face softened.   
  
"Where are they? Does anybody know?"  
  
"They are somewhere in the forest. Where at specifically, nobody wishes to find out."  
  
Joza felt Anshis' presence before she saw him. She turned to him to say something, but was interrupted by the arrival of the slavers. Joza and Anshi didn't say anything as they took off running in the slavers direction. They ignited their sabers. Just before reaching them, Joza yelled as loud as she could, "Get out of here!"  
  
The marketplace people understood. Joza and Anshi would take of this. They picked up their belongings and within a couple of minutes the place was empty. Meanwhile, Joza and Anshi were busy deflecting blaster bolts. Joza felt angry. Very angry. She ignored it though.   
  
After a few more heartbeats, the two apprentices turned tail and ran as hard as they could go. The slavers followed. Joza and Anshi hadn't counted on that. They were soon in the Jungle.   
  
They soon gained a small amount of space between them and the slavers. A very small space. The two stopped to rest. Joza was panting hard. Anshi leaned against a tree, resting.   
  
"We'll have to spilt up."  
  
Joza looked up in shock at Anshi.  
  
"But then our chances of being caught are almost doubled. You and me would be enslaved for sure."  
  
Anshi shook his head.   
  
"No. If one of us ends up a slave, it'll be me. Here take my lightsaber and cloak. They'll only weigh me down."  
  
"Anshi, I won't let you do this. If one of us then both of us."  
  
"You have too much potential. Besides, Asmo is waiting for you. And if they take I can use the Force to convince them that they have enough slaves and they'll leave."  
  
Anshi held the things out. Joza took them. She hung his saber off of her belt. Anshi hugged her tightly and then ran off into the jungle. Joza reached out into the Force. She cursed silently. Anshi was right. Asmo was waiting for her.  
  
With Anshis' saber on her belt and his cloak over her shoulder, Joza headed off to where she had been yesterday.   
  
Time for me to finish this, she thought,  
  
Anshi slipped into the small knot of people that the slavers had taken prisoner. He stood quietly as they were counted and assigned to different groups. One group was nothing but teenagers. Anshi was assigned to this group. The slavers were leaving the world and Anshi was leaving behind the only life that he had ever known.   
  
One of the teenage girls was limping real bad. Anshi walked over to her, picked her up, and carried onto the ship.   
  
The townspeople who were watching for their hiding places stared in disbelief as the ships took off.   
  
Joza left her cloak and Anshis' cloak outside of the building. She walked into it the place. She reached out into the Force to see if there was anybody else there. Just Asmo.  
  
He stepped out of the shadows, his red lightsaber casting eerie shadows. The two stood apart for several heartbeats.  
  
"I've been ordered to bring you with me when I leave for Ruusan."  
  
"You'll be making the trip alone."  
  
Asmo shook his head.  
  
"You don't realize how powerful you could be, Miwe."  
  
Joza shifted her weight.  
  
"You could exact revenge on the Jedi for them not accepting your sister."  
  
Joza remained silent. Asmo continued to push.  
  
"You could make your family pay for making you become a Jedi and losing so much."  
  
Asmo instantly reacted to Jozas' attack. Within a few blows the sabers were locked in a death grip. Joza looked Asmo straight in the eye. What he saw only infuriated him more.   
  
Joza broke free and feinted left. Asmo over countered. Joza gave a searing slash on his arm. If he hadn't moved though it would've been more like cut in half. He somersaulted backwards and stopped with a glare. Joza let him.  
  
"Everyday, I am thankful that my family let me become a Jedi."  
  
Asmo charged her. She sidestepped it and shoved him with the Force. He slammed into a pillar and slid down onto the floor, his lightsaber clattering down beside him. Joza used the Force to fling the saber up into the air and cut it in half. Asmo started to get up, but Joza kicked him. He fell backwards and launched himself into a back handspring. He landed solidly and rose, anger practically filling him.  
  
Joza disengaged her saber.  
  
"It's not about how powerful in the Force you can become. It's about helping others with the Force. The ability to use the Force is not a tool to gain power and prestige. It's meant to be exploited to help others."  
  
Asmo gave a cold laugh.  
  
"Believe what you will, Miwe. In time you will see the truth."  
  
"I've already experienced the truth."  
  
With that, Asmo shoved Joza with the Force. She stumbled and in the that time, Asmo punched in the mouth. She flipped backwards and leapt clear.   
  
Joza was seeing stars and tasting blood. She knew that if she tried to use hand-to-hand-combat to fight Asmo, she would lose. She ignited her saber once again. Leaping down and swinging it at Asmo, he moved to late. Jozas' saber hit Asmos' shoulder and sliced the arm that she had wounded a little bit ago, off.   
  
Asmo fell to the ground again. Joza felt the beginnings of a Force choke on her throat. Quickly Joza put her saber through Asmo's heart. In almost the same instant the grip was gone. Joza looked down at the dying man.  
  
"So aggression, hatred, misery, and suffering are giving up being a Jedi, Huh?"  
  
Joza turned and walked out of the building. She was half-expecting Medea to come after her. It wasn't Medea though that stepped onto the path. It was Master Padane.  
  
"Joza. We need to talk."   
  
Alre was talking to Sichi outside the palace.  
  
"I don't get it. Joza seems so different now."  
  
Sichi nodded.  
  
"She's changed drastically ever since we came here."  
  
Alre looked at her friend. The question hung unspoken in the air. What if Joza hadn't changed for the better?  
  
Joza walked beside Master Padane. She wanted to know what Padane was thinking and yet didn't want to know. She had a feeling though it was about her recent behavior. They walked on for several more minutes before Padane finally broke the silence.  
  
"Master Grepa is worried about you. She's afraid that you are falling to the Dark Side. And I must tell you that I've seen little to dispute that. Especially since you just killed a Jedi Knight."  
  
Joza stopped cold. Master Grepa was the only other person who knew her well enough besides Anshi to be able to tell if there were changes.   
  
"I wish I could just say that she has nothing to be worried about but I can't. And as for Asmo...he was fighting me with a red saber. His mother is Ara Medea a Sith witch. He had gone over. He wanted to fight me. So I let him have his way."  
  
Joza could feel herself growing angry.  
  
"You should have come and gotten someone then. One of us Masters'. You're only a Padawan."  
  
"Yeah and Asmo used to be a knight. Yet his blood is the blood on the floor back there. Not mine. I killed him. Not the other way around."  
  
"I can feel the Dark Side in you."  
  
"It was put there by Medeas' apprentice Netoa. Asmo just made it stronger. You think I don't feel what's growing inside? You think I can't tell that the Dark side is with even though the Light Side is too?"  
  
Padane looked Joza straight in the eye.  
  
"So are you going to join the Sith?"  
  
"NO! I am not. Not willingly anyway. I don't want to stop being a Jedi. All this is great big battle inside of myself. I have to make the decision, but I don't know what to choose."  
  
Padane wished she could think of something to say. Here Joza was fighting against one of the worst kinds of enemies—herself. Padane wanted to tell Joza that she was confident that Joza would make the right decision for her. She couldn't think of anything though.  
  
Joza was lost in her own thoughts.  
  
Maybe Asmo and Medea were right. Maybe I do belong with them. Maybe I should have become Medeas' apprentice. Maybe I should have gone back with my sister.   
  
Trust your heart joza.  
  
Joza looked around in surprise.   
  
"Did you say something Master Padane."  
  
Padane shook her head. Joza felt Master Padane turn to leave and waited until she was gone.   
  
Out of the corner of Jozas' eye, she thought she saw her twin sister. Netoa smiled at Joza.  
  
Trust your heart, Joza. It's the only way you'll be able to find your destiny.   
  
"How can you encourage me like that after what I did to you?"  
  
I forgive, Joza. Your problem is that you won't forgive yourself. Do the Jedi order and the galaxy a favor. Forgive yourself. Then you will be able to win your battle.  
  
Netoa vanished from Jozas' view. Joza cried. 


	4. Tidings of Battle

Chapter Four   
  
Master Lele was getting worried. He couldn't find Joza and Anshi was suddenly no longer anywhere in the Force. It was as if he had died, but Anshi was not dead.   
  
Joza walked slowly into the palace. She wondered how she was going to tell Master Lele about Anshi. Yet as she entered the room Lele was in, Lele could sense why, how, and when. He sighed.   
  
"Master, what's wrong?"   
  
"I've just received word from the Council. all Jedi: Masters, Knights, and Apprentices that have had their lightsabers built for over a year, are to go to the world Ruusan. There, we will take on the Sith one last time."   
  
Joza looked at him through wide eyes.   
  
"One last time? You mean--"   
  
"Yes. This is the last battle."   
  
Joza was stunned. She had been at all of the battles except the first. And now it was time. Time to finish what was started almost three thousand years ago.   
  
"According to Jedi intelligence, the Sith have already congregated there. We're leaving right now. Get your stuff."   
  
Joza ran to her room, knowing that she could have told Lele that the Sith were all there. She packed her pack quickly. She froze for a few moments as she picked up Anshis' cloak. She folded it and placed it carefully inside her pack. Anshis' saber...she hung it off of her belt. Grabbing her pack and cloak, Joza ran out the door and to the ship.   
  
Sith Lord Diqu sat in the meeting of Dark Side generals. He listened closely as Dark Lord Kaan outlined the battle plans. Even though the Dark Lord spoke with zest and fervor, it was obvious that a victory was not expected.   
  
Diqu glanced out of the corner of his eye. His apprentice, Ahxa Orkem, was standing like the other apprentices were. Hands behind their backs and heads down. His glances at Lord Kaan though did not go un-noticed. Nolu Edko sat closer to the Dark Lord and listened with rapt attention. He believed in nothing less than victory despite the atmosphere of the camp.   
  
The meeting adjourned soon after that. Edko approached the Dark Lord and bowed respectfully, waiting to be acknowledged before speaking.   
  
"Master Edko. You have a question for me," Lord Kaan asked him.   
  
"Yes, my Lord Kaan. I noticed that two of your best generals are not here. Where are they? Shouldn't they take part in this," Edko did his best to sound humble before his Lord.   
  
"Ah. You speak of Darth Bane and Lee Kun. Don't worry about them. They are what you might consider my contingency plan," Lord Kaan finished with an evil laugh.   
  
Edko bowed and left, Diqu at his side and Ahxa not far behind. Edko walked down through the camp to his tent. Just as he reached it he turned to his friend, Diqu.   
  
"Come, Sada. Let us celebrate our last day of life and our first day of the new order. Which ever the case might be," He said as the three walked into the tent.   
  
Waju Prige stood and watched as the new slaves were sorted into the different capacities. It had been a successful raid done this time. Even before the slaves had shown up, he contacted the dealers to come look and get their new wares. Prige had contacted his old friend Totte Lexa to come pick up a special group of slaves.   
  
The group of slaves he had considered special didn't complain nor were they afraid to say something if they felt it was wrong. They hadn't allowed themselves to be bullied like many of the others had. Their leader was a young man, who looked about twenty. He had blonde hair and pale blue eyes that flashed when he was angry.   
  
Waju broke out of his reverie when he heard his name called. He turned and looked into the crowd and saw Lexa hailing him. Prige waved back and went forward. Lexa broke from the crowd and strode over to Waju. The two clasped hands warmly.   
  
"Waju, my friend. It's good to see again."   
  
"Same to you Totte."   
  
Lexa looked at the slaves after letting go of his friends' hand.   
  
"What's this about a special group of slaves?"   
  
Waju smiled.   
  
"You know how you are always being asked to get pilots, mechanics, butlers and maids? I have a group of slaves that would be perfect for that," Waju slung his arm around Lexas' shoulder and lead him over to the slaves.   
  
Medea paced the floors of her ship. She was growing angrier by the minute. Her son and new apprentice hadn't come. Instead she had felt her sons death. The Jedi army was here, but Miwe wasn't. Joza Miwe was the only Jedi as far as Medea was concerned that was worthy of fighting. That young woman had resisted her son's attempt to get her to join the Dark Side. Her own apprentice had failed, but would she fail?   
  
Medea stopped pacing as a new idea arose in her mind. When Miwe arrived she would fight her and only her. Medea would win her over to the Dark Side. She would become her new apprentice and while it was too late to take advantage of the twins' combined Force powers, Miwe would be so filled with anger and the Dark Side that she might even successfully challenge Dark Lord Kaan.   
  
Medea practically ran off of her ship and into the camp to Lord Kaans' tent. The guard wouldn't let her in so she sent him through the door. The Dark Lord Kaan came out and glared at her.   
  
"Yes Mistress Medea. What is it?"   
  
"When the Jedi Joza Miwe arrives I will be the only one to fight her. No one else can.   
  
"Why Medea?"   
  
Medeas' voice rose and the camp seemed to stop everything that it was doing.   
  
"Miwe is responsible for my sons' death. I want the satisfaction of either turning her to the Dark Side or destroying her," Medea spoke with raw rage in her voice.   
  
Lord Kaan nodded.   
  
"You have heard what was said by Sith Witch Medea. Now obey."   
  
The camp went back to what it was doing. The air soon filled back up with noise. The guard also finally woke up and came out of the tent Kaan placed a hand on the young mans shoulder.   
  
"Go take the rest of the day off, son."   
  
The guard nodded and walked rather unsteadily towards his tent. The evening fires were beginning to be lit. Medea looked up at the sky and sighed. Lord Kaan opened the door of his tent and raised an eyebrow. Medea went inside and waited for Kaan to enter. He stepped in and wrapped his arms around Medea and kissed her deeply. She pulled away after a little bit and let the tears roll down her cheeks.   
  
"Ara. Is our son really dead?"   
  
"Yes Kaan. Killed by Joza Miwe." 


	5. Restless Times

Chapter Five   
  
Joza sat meditating in her room on the ship. She shivered. Not because she was cold. It seemed that the closer she got to Ruusan the more she could feel almost taste the Dark Side. She stood up and took her cloak off. Meditating was not helping right now.   
  
Joza picked up her lightsaber and summoned some of the many training droids that were in her room. Eight total came up and Joza commanded them to on auto and not stop until the limit. Forty-five minutes later the remotes turned off. Joza disengaged her saber in disbelief. It had only seemed like a few minutes, not almost an hour.   
  
The chrono said that is was only nine and a half hours until the battle. Joza could feel and knew that all other Jedi and Sith knew as well, that this battle would one of two things. The end of the Sith or the beginning of a reign of terror by the Dark Side. It would depend on the choices made by the ones fighting. The choices that they would make on the battlefield and off.   
  
Joza turned the lights off and put her sleeping clothes on. Climbing into bed, she used the Force to set the alarm on her chrono. Rolling over, Joza thought about the choices she had made. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, silently swearing that she would not go back on them.   
  
Sichi fitted the last piece of the puzzle in place. She placed it on the shelf near her bunk. Joza had been right: the puzzle was a good thinking exercise. Flopping onto her bed and snuggling under the covers she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling.   
  
This was to be the last great battle between the Jedi and the Sith. Sichi had been there at the first one and now she would be there at the last one. Some of the apprentices that would be present, were facing battle for the first time. How many of them would be surviving?   
  
Force, as many as possible, was her last thought before finally going to sleep.   
  
Alre and Ralo had gone to bed an hour earlier. Ralo though couldn't go to sleep. He kept going over and over in his mind what he had learned about the Sith while on Zoist. He also kept thinking about the strategies that he had come up with to counter the Sith. Ralo sighed as he rolled over onto his back.   
  
Am I ready for this? What if I don't make it and I can't feel the Force when I die? And if I die, will I join the Force?, the questions rolled through his mind. They stopped and Alre finally allowed herself to go to sleep now that Ralo was.   
  
Master Amge Padane sat quietly at the table, thinking. Keji Lele walked over and sat across from her.   
  
"A credit for your thoughts, Amge?"   
  
Amge looked up startled.   
  
"Oh, I didn't hear you come in."   
  
"Well you'll definitely see me."   
  
Kari Da-na sat down next to Amge. They say quietly for a few moments as they studied their drinks. Keji broke the silence first.   
  
"Joza is going to make a fine Knight someday. So will Ralo."   
  
Kari nodded.   
  
"He's still got a lot to learn. He studies a lot. Maybe too much. I can't keep him away from the Library whenever we're at the Temple."   
  
All three of the Masters laughed. Kari looked at Amge.   
  
"I take it Sichi is almost ready for the Trials?"   
  
Amge nodded slowly.   
  
"Yes. She has been a good apprentice to me. So many times, she had done more than what was necessary. Sometimes even placing her life on the line."   
  
Amge took a sip of her tea.   
  
"I will greatly miss her companionship."   
  
Kari nodded in agreement.   
  
"What about you Keji? Will you be choosing a new apprentice?"   
  
Keji shook his head.   
  
"I won't be looking for another apprentice for awhile. After Joza becomes a Knight, I won't get another one for couple of years. I intend on taking some time off."   
  
Amge smirked.   
  
"Yeah that's what you said the last time. Then the next time I see you, you have the little blue-eyed, blonde haired kid following you around. You said you were only going to have one apprentice. Then you took Joza on. I won't even go into what she's pulled."   
  
Keji threw is head back and laughed. Kari chuckled as he stood up with his drink. The other two masters followed.   
  
"To our apprentices!" They chorused and clinked their drinks together.   
  
Kaan smiled at Ara from where he sat. They had spent the last hour talking. Now it was midnight local time. He felt he should tell her.   
  
"Ara. I have something to tell you. But you have to swear to me that you won't tell anyone else."   
  
She nodded, sensing that is was important.   
  
"You remember me telling everyone of the thought bomb? That's a last ditch effort on my part. We either win this battle or we lose it. Completely. Ara, I don't want you connected to it."   
  
"I wasn't going to be anyway. I need my full concentration for Miwe tomorrow."   
  
Kaan nodded as he watched Ara stand up and head for the door.   
  
"I need to be getting back to my ship and resting. Godd night, Kaan."   
  
"Good night Ara."   
  
Ahxa stood before his Master, lightsaber blazing. He listened to Edko's words, absorbing them and locking them away.   
  
"Concentrate on your anger. It is your connection to the Dark Side. It is the fuel that the Dark Side uses to make you stronger. To make you powerful. Now. Attack me again."   
  
Ahxa obeyed instantly. He opened the doors in his heart and mind. He let the hatred in himself go. The Dark Side was a part of him and he, a part of it. Edko blocked his apprentices blows and felt proud. Someday his apprentice would be a powerful Dark Lord. He would fell honored to be kille by Orkem. Ahxa finally slowed as he felt himself growing more tired.   
  
He finally had to stop and admit exhaustion. He stood panting hard before Edko.   
  
"Very good my apprentice. Now go sleep. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."   
  
Ahxa nodded and headed off to his tent. Edko watched him go.   
  
"Yes. One day. Just as long as you survive the battle tomorrow."   
  
Diqu sat in his tent, meditating. He wouldn't be sleeping that night. In his meditation, he could feel the camp as Sith prepared to fight and live or fight and die. Yet it seemed as though they all knew that the latter was all that there was. 


	6. Darkest Dreams

Chapter Six.  
  
**Joza walked slowly down the hallway of the building. She knew were she was going. She knew what was going to happen. She knew that only one room would be open. That would be the room at the very end of the hallway...the largest room...the room filled with anger. The room with the floor covered in blood and Sith symbols.  
  
The ceiling was cathedral like and the room itself poorly lit. Yet Joza could see everything, make out every little detail on the circle of pillars. She walked until she was standing in the center of the room. She waited and knew that she wasn't waiting long.  
  
"Finally. We met again,sister."  
  
Joza turned and looked at the speaker. Netoa was the spitting image of Joza. Save for the black clothes and angery red scars on her right cheek. The brillant crimson red lightsaber in her hand was also a big difference.  
  
"Do you like this room, Joza? It's where the Lords of the Sith come and review apprentices training."  
  
Joza followed Netoa's eyes to a spot on the floor.  
  
"Those that are found un-satisfactory are immediatlely dealt with."  
  
Joza remained silent.  
  
"Tomorrow it it my turn to go before them. And when I do, I will prove my prowess as a Sith. I will either have my twin sister by my side, bowing her knee to the masters or her head on a silver platter to lay at their feet."  
  
Joza ignited her saber and took up a defensive position.  
  
"Why Netoa? Why? You could have been an apprentice with me. We could have trained together. Become Jedi Knights together."  
  
Netoa gave a cold laugh.  
  
"You know as well as I do. The Jedi were afraid of us Joza. They still are. Twins who were Jedi. How powerfull would they be? To powerful. Only now, I am powerful. So powerful that I could take on and kill every member of the Council. Every last lying stupid one of them. They think that they have their emtions under control. They won't when I arrive. They'll be so afraid that they'll faint away dead."  
  
Joza gave Netoa a hard look. Netoa glared menacingly back.  
  
"You know better than that, Netoa."  
  
"Do I?"  
  
Netoa's red saber flashed and Joza blocked, her saber pointed downwards...she would've been cut in half. Netoa broke the deadlock and aimed for Joza's head. Joza backflipped away.  
  
"I sense the anger inside of you, Joza. You know as well as I do which one of us will win. The only way that you stand a chance of winning is by giving into your anger," Netoa taunted her sister.  
  
Joza gritted her teeth. They knew each others weakness and strengths, even though it had been over a decade since they had last seen each other.  
  
Joza shoved Netoa into a pillar with the Force.  
  
"Joza, stop fighting your destiny. You belong with me."  
  
Joza charged her sister, if only to get Netoa to shut up. Joza aimed high, then low, then high again. Netoa blocked as if Joza was throwing ants at her. Netoa spun, swinging her saber at Joza's left side. As Joza brought her saber down to block, she side kicked Netoa.  
  
Netoa screamed in pain and rage as bones crunched. She fell backwards and crawled a little ways away. Joza stood with her lightsaber in one hand and watched her sister on the ground.  
  
"It's not too late, Netoa."  
  
"You're right. You can still join me."  
  
"NO! To return to the Jedi. We can fight side-by-side."  
  
Joza felt like crying. She wouldn't though. She couldn't. She had to concentrate on this.  
  
Netoa shook her head.  
  
"I am a Sith. And I can see now that you are a Jedi," Netoa spat the word as if it were posion.  
  
She stood up slowly and winced as bones protested.  
  
"Joza. You aren't my sister anymore. You are dead."  
  
Joza heard a ripping sound above her. She looked up and saw a large hideous looking chandler begin fallin. Netoa began to laugh cruelly as the sound of breaking glass filled the room.  
  
Joza crouched and waited until the last second. She lept up into the air, her lightsaber spinning around and around, cutting a hole for her in the chandler. It wasn't big enough though. She screamed as she felt her back torn into by a piece of the glass.  
  
Joza turned herself enough to where she could land safely by the broken ceiling fixture. She collapsed as she did. She could sense her sister coming up behind her with that blood red saber...about to be made even redder with Joza's blood.  
  
Netoa sneered down at her sister.  
  
"You always were the weaker one."  
  
Joza finally got up onto one knee.  
  
"Oh yeah..."  
  
Lightening sprang from her fingers and threw Netoa across the room. Joza focused all of her anger into her hands. She cried out as more glass suddenly cut into her back and fell back onto her stomach, writhing in agony. Netoa wasted no time in getting up and charging her fallen sibling.  
  
Joza's mind flashed back to when they were younger and at the Jedi temple. The times when they would race from one training room to the next, Netoa losing guessing games and puzzles to Joza, and Joza losing to Netoa with the practice sabers. All of this in four or five seconds flashed through Joza's mind. The last memory seemed to glue itself into her mental eye.  
  
Suddenly, Joza saw the one time when she had won. They had ended up in this kind of a situation. Netoa had assumed that Joza had lost her saber. Joza had actually turned it off and had hidden it underneath of herself. Joza, in her memory, shoved her saber hilt backwards igniting as she did.  
  
A cough brought her back to the real world. Joza turned and found her silver saber through Netoa's stomach. She turned it off as quickly as she could and struggled to stand up as Netoa fell backwards. Joza rushed forward to catch her and suddenly she wasn't there anymore.  
  
Joza looked into the stream that suddenly appeared out of nowhere as the building around her faded into a beautiful meadow. She stared at her reflection. It was her when she was younger...about nine. The time when...Joza suddenly knew where she was at.  
  
Joza looked back into the stream and found herself looking at the self she was now.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Netoa smiled at Joza.  
  
"Is it that hard to understand?"  
  
Joza spun. She blinked hard. Yes, it was Netoa. She was whole...no scars, no marks of the Sith.  
  
"Neota you're okay."  
  
"I'm dead."  
  
Joza blinked. Netoa...wait...as Joza looked she realized that she could see through her.  
  
"I don't understand. You're dead...but...?"  
  
Neota placed a hand on Joza's shoulder.  
  
"It's simple. You made an honest mistake, I paid the price for my choice, and you need to move on."  
  
Joza screamed at Netoa.  
  
"BUT I USED THE DARK SIDE ON YOU!! I KILLED MY OWN SISTER!!"  
  
Netoa wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
"Joza...let it go. Forgive yourself. I have."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Joza, it's time to wake up."  
**  
Joza sat up hard, hitting her head on the bunk above her as the alarm on her clock went off. 


	7. Ruusan Hell

Keji stood in the cockpit watching Ruusan come into view. Sensing Joza behind him, he turned to find her rubbing her head. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"They gotta make more space in bunks."

"I take your dreams have been giving you no peace again,"he asked.

Joza only nodded. As they drew nearer to the world, Joza became aware of someone saying her name in the Force. It was Ara. She was sending her a picture of a place on the planet. Joza blinked. It wouldn't go away. She reached up and rubbed her head again, making sure that there wasn't a large bruise forming. Keji looked at her again.

"You're not going to actually accept her challenge are you?"

Joza blinked in surprise but remembered the bond she shared with him.

"I have to. If I don't...I'll never be able to trust myself as a Jedi. Confronting her will be confronting what started me down this path. I have finish it."

Keji nodded sadly and put a hand on the young woman's shoulder.  
  
Keji made his way to the large gathering of Jedi, after everyone had disembarked from the ship. Joza had vanished, as he had expected. When ask where she had gone, he said nothing and acted as though he hadn't anything. Sichi had been the only one not to ask anything. He was grateful. No sooner than were they among the Jedi Army than was the word given to attack. Spreading out, the Jedi moved into the valley and towards the now charging Sith Army.

Joza found the place that had been seared into her memory. It was a small valley that had a stream running through it, so it was green. In stark contrast to it's surrounding territory, there were a few trees and an incredibly old hut. Ara stood, leaned against one of the trees. She gave Joza a smile except this time Joza didn't shiver.

"This can be easy or hard. Take your pick, Miwe."

Joza ignited her lightsaber.

"I was hoping you would do that."

Ara ignited her red lightsaber. The crimson blade seemed to be brighter than normal in the morning mists, while Joza's seemed to fade a few notches in brightness. Ara advanced slowly on the padawan girl and brought her saber up in across her body at an angle. Joza gritted her teeth. That was one of the harder defensive positions to get around. Joza's blade ran parallel to her body almost. She narrowed her eyes at the Sith witch, and could take it no longer. Charging, she rolled and stabbed towards Ara's stomach. Ara twisted to one side and swung her saber downwards. Joza merely turned her body to the left, bringing the hilt in front of her. Red crashed into grey.

Ahxa Orkem closed his eyes with pleasure. All the pain, hatred and fear seemed to overwhelm him all most. It was intoxicating to him and he could feel himself getting drunk off it. Channeling it into his arms and his mind, he attacked the first Jedi that came close enough.  
Sichi leapt aside as his red blade came crashing down. She spun, doing complete spin in the air with her saber making a deadly arc around. Ahxa backed off a little bit. At least the Jedi girl had some style.Sichi jabbed with her saber towards Ahxa's shoulder, aiming for the left one. Ahxa stepped backwards, bringing his saber up quickly. The blades ended up being just inches from his face. He glared with ease at the girl. Sichi looked him straight in the eye, unflinching for even a moment.Suddenly, Ahxa sensed a kick coming at his side and went to roll out of the way. Sichi stopped her kick and followed, lightsaber chopping downwards towards the back on his now vulnerable neck.Lord Kaan made his quickly to the cave and waited, knowing Hoth would come. And so Hoth did. Grepa would have gone in with him, but he sent her away. "Someone else needs you more," he told her. Edko and Diqu stood watching hungrily as the Jedi leaders walked inside. Da-Na and Padane stood by glaring, silently daring the Sith to do something so that they could fight.Alre and Ralo stood side-by-side as they fought a Sith Knight. It was some of the best team work that the two had ever done and they were going at their hardest to use their skills as best as they could. The Sith hissed in anger. Two against was not incredibly uneven because he was a Knight, but still.

Alre saw it coming and screamed Ralo's name long before the blade touched him. Ralo fell to the ground, the Sith Knights back to her. She lunged forward and stabbed the green blade of her saber into his head. Twisting it, she pulled it out and turned it off. Alre rushed to Ralo's side and wept, tears streaming down her face as and onto the ground where his body no longer was.

She quickly wiped the tears from her face and stood up, summoning Ralo's saber to her hand. She clipped it to her belt and reignited her own. Choosing a Sith, she didn't care what level of mastery they were, she just attacked and brutally.

Joza and Medea circled each other. Joza feinted to the left but then spun to the right. Medea over countered to left and sensed Joza's blade coming towards her side. She speeded up her fall and rolled out of harm's way. Leaping to her feet, she turned just in time to see Joza lunged at her again, this time aiming for between her eyes.Ara pointed both of her hands at the girl. Joza came to an abrupt halt as Force lightening streaked at her. Just as she brought her saber up to catch the lightening, Medea pushed her backwards. Joza turned her saber off as she flew through the air. She looked towards the ground and saw water coming up to met her. She quickly formed a pocket of air around her nose and mouth. As she hit, she swam down to the bottom of the stream. It had to as least of been to her waist.  
Medea watched the padawan fall into the water and not come back up.

"Tsk, Tsk. Don't they teach you Jedi how to swim?," Medea asked.

Medea leaned over the edge of the stream, looking for a body. When she didn't see one, she leaned out a little further. Joza exploded up out of the water and grabbed the Sith Witch by the hair, yanking Medea out into the stream as hard as she could. The Sith floundered and chocked as water trickled into her airways.

"Tsk, Tsk. Don't they teach you Sith how to swim?,"Joza taunted.

Medea found her feet and slowly stood up, coughing violently as water was expelled from her lungs. Joza put a little bit of distance between herself and Medea and did her best to heal a little bit before the battle would renew itself. Medea was breathing hard as she ignited her saber again and began to advance on the girl once more. Joza ignited hers once more and brought it up into an offensive position.

Grepa had felt the gap that was created by the missing Joza Miwe. Searching earnestly for the girl, she felt her presence in the distance and began to run. The closer she got the more she felt the Dark Side.

_No, please. Don't let it be true Joza_, she thought.  
Grepa speed herself up with the Force and came into view of the battle. She stopped suddenly as something became apparent to her. This was a battle that Joza was putting her very being into. Grepa knew she couldn't get involved...then Joza would fall...she couldn't get involved...she couldn't.

Grepa fought with herself over this. Joza was a bright spot in a sea of darkness that threatened to consume her with each passing moment, she could see it in the Force and she could see what would happen if that darkness conquered the girl.

Suddenly in a cave, in a valley to be called the Valley of the Jedi someday, a thought bomb was exploded. It took thousands of Jedi and all but three sith. Darth Bane who go on to become the founder of the Sith Order as most knew it in the future. Exar Kun, a wanna-be Sith who do more harm than good all of his life. Then there was Ara Medea.

Keji sat up slowly and wiped blood from the side of his face. All around were dead and dying. Among them was Sichi, she was limping her way towards him. There had been several Jedi who had ended up outside of the immediate area of the bomb, and were only shook up. They ran as fast as they could back into the valley. As they entered they stopped and began to pick up lightsabers. Two of the stronger ones came to Lele was and helped him stand up. Everyone began to leave the valley in order to get out of that hell that they had helped create. Sichi felt a light paw on her shoulder and looked up to find the Wookie Jedi Master Gahimlakit looking at her. He reached down and gently picked her up, being careful not to hurt her more. Sichi could only feel one person still alive and fighting were it mattered.

Joza gasped as she felt the lives of thousands suddenly snuffed out like candles. Dropping to the ground, she shuddered violently. Ara snarled.

"All Jedi are weak."

She brought her saber up, point down and brought it plunging down to Joza's back.


	8. Victory For One

Joza could feel everything happening in slow motion. The saber point just inches away from her back, the pain subsiding, Master Heber on the hill starting to come down. She moved without thinking. Rolling out and away from Medea, she leapt into the air and did a round kick into Medea nose. Joza looked around quickly for her saber, it was out of reach for the time being.  
She stomped her foot on Medea's toes and punched her again in the nose. Then punched her in the stomach twice. She grabbed Medea behind the neck and pulled her head down, bringing her knee up into the woman's face all the while keeping a hand on the arm with the lightsaber. Medea reeled under Joza's attacks and stumbled backwards after Joza released her grip on her neck.

Joza grabbed the arm with the lightsaber with both hands and brought the wrist slamming down onto her thigh. Medea instantly let go of the saber. Joza snatched it up and threw it into the stream, it still on. She jump-kicked Medea, knocking her flat on her back. Joza ran for her saber and snatched it up just as Medea got up again."You think you've won, now that my lightsaber has been taken from me? On the contrary my Jedi bitch. It just makes me more dangerous."

Joza gasped for air as she felt an invisible hand suddenly take a hold of her throat and hoist her into the air. Joza choked and coughed as she felt her life being suffocated out of her. She ignited her saber and threw it at the Sith. Medea ducked out of the way but in doing so, lost visual contact with Joza. Joza summoned her saber back charged the Sith Woman. Medea backpedaled rapidly and found herself against the wall of the old building. Joza force-pushed Medea through the wall. Medea feel into the floor and rolled quickly to her feet racing to the door only to find a grey lightsaber in her face.

"Netoa was my twin sister. If not even she could turn me to the Dark Side what made you think that you could? She was flesh and blood, you are a stranger."

Medea went to use her force-lightening. As the hand came up, Joza cut it off. She took a step back and with a scream of pure emotions, plunged the saber into Medea throat. She pulled it back out and turned, walking away to the stream. Joza turned off her lightsaber and put it back on her belt. She cupped her hands together and reached into the stream, bringing up water to wash her face. She drank greedily from the water and stood up, shaking her head and looking up at the sky.

_Forgive yourself, Joza. That's all you need to do now.  
_

Grepa stopped as she heard the voice. Joza noticed.

"My sister Netoa. She was a Sith and I used the Dark Side to kill her. That's why I've been acting so strangely. I was fighting a battle inside of myself."

Joza looked at Grepa, suddenly very hungry and very tired. Grepa came and put her hands on the young woman's shoulders. She could feel it now. Joza's spirit was burning brighter than ever, there wasn't even shadows inside of her now. The Twi'lek said nothing, just pulled Joza in the direction of the rest of the Jedi.

Sichi saw Grepa and Joza coming and yelled a welcome to the returning heroes. Joza grinned and broke into a run and swooped her friend up into a bear hug. Sichi noticed that Joza seemed stronger in the Force...balanced. She also noticed that she didn't ask where Alre, Ralo and the others were. She just seemed to know.

Grepa made her way over to Gahimlakit, and Lele Keji and stood quietly with them. All around them, Jedi healers scurried back and forth between people making sure that they were ready for the ships that were slowly starting to appear in the sky. Glay Hoca, a Theelin Jedi Master joined after a short while.

"Our numbers were greatly decimated by this thought bomb. Out of the Council, Heber and Gahim plus myself are all that are left."

Keji blinked. One little stupid thought bomb killed seven-tenths of the people who were on the planet and that was just the Jedi. His padawan was sitting talking to Sichi, who was now masterless. Who would knight the padawan's that had shown themselves worthy of being a knight? Grepa sensed what he was thinking.

"Right now, we don't have time. But soon, we will be back at the temple on Coruscant. Once there, Masters will be appointed to the Council as the Order heals the more immediate wounds. In the meantime, there are four members of the Council. Lele Keji, consider yourself one of the Council."

Keji nodded slowly. At least he wouldn't have to take on another apprentice then.

****

**Four Months Later on Coruscant**.  
  
Joza was sitting quietly in the library, helping catalogue the events of the Battle of Ruusan. She jumped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. It was one of the younger students.

"Joza, the Council says that they want to talk to you right away. You need go, right now."

Joza nodded and headed quickly to the chambers. As she approached the doors they opened, admitting a slightly nervous Miwe. She bowed to the Council.

"You wished to speak with me, Masters?"

Master Keji spoke.

"Yes. It concerns your advancement in the Jedi Ranks, in light of the Battle of Ruusan."

Joza remained silent. Master Grepa spoke up.

"Over the past nine years, you have been apprenticed to Master Lele Keji. Co-apprentice with Anshi. We feel that during that time of apprenticeship, coupled with your experiences in the war and your successful resistance to the Dark Side, you have learned more than what most adults learn in their entire lifetimes."

Joza blinked. She wasn't sure of what she was hearing.

"Therefore we feel that because of this, that it is time for you to no longer be an apprentice," Keji said.

"Joza Miwe, it is hereby decreed by the Jedi Council that you are no longer a Padawan. You are now a full Jedi Knight, effective immediately. This makes you the youngest person in the history of the Jedi ever to advance to this rank. You should proud of yourself. You did it," Heber eyes were soft on the last comment.

Joza didn't know what to say. So she just grinned and bowed to her master's.

"You may go now. One of us will find you later and fill you in on your first assignment."

"May the Force be with you."

Joza bowed to the Council again and walked out of the chamber. She paused as she reached the bottom of the staircase and looked up along the railing. She smiled at the memory of time that she, Anshi, Alre, Ralo and Sichi had all climbed up to the top in the middle of the night and had slid all the way down to the bottom. They had always been a bad bunch, getting into mischief and trouble every day of their lives.

Such memories were now bittersweet. Only Sichi and her remained from their little gang. She didn't even know if Anshi was still alive or not. She headed out onto one of the balconies to watch the sun go down. As she watched, she could feel so many things washing over her. All of them memories. Her fear from the first she had fought a Sith. The death of her sister by her hand. The loss of her fellow apprentice and brother in every sense. One thing remained though...her.

Joza was one with the Force now and always would be. She looked back inside and noticed Master Heber watching her. When Joza noticed that she was there, the Master walked onto the balcony with her. She moved until she was standing beside Joza, and place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I don't suppose you'll be looking for an apprentice?"

Joza shook her head. That part would wait five or six years.

"I'm going to be heading to Dantooine to look for Force-sensitive people. I'd like for you to come."

Joza just nodded.

"I think if you became any sadder, the sky would start to rain in sympathy. I can understand that you miss Anshi and the others, but don't let it beat you anymore. It's been four months."

"I know. Where do you think Anshi might be?"

Heber sighed.

"It's hard telling with the slave trade. I have a feeling though that it was the will of the Force for him to leave the Jedi. And that someday, his descendants will return to the Jedi Order."

"You think they'll come back when the Jedi need them the most?"

"Maybe. We can never know for certain however."

Joza nodded. The two woman went back to watching the last of the days' light vanish in a blaze of golden glory.  
  
Meanwhile, in a Sith palace, unknown and unfelt by the Jedi, the Sith began to change...


	9. Epilogue

One thousand years later, the descendant of Anshi was re-united with the Jedi by what caused their ancestor to be separated from them in the first place. The Sith and the slave trade...  
  
Qui-Gon collapsed onto the ships floor, turning his lightsaber off as he did. Obi-Wan and Anakin burst into the room, rushing to his side.

"What was it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know. Whatever it was, it was well trained in the Jedi Arts."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What are we going to do?" Anakin asked.

Qui-Gon caught his breath a little bit.

"We shall be patient and wait. Anakin Skywalker meet Obi-Wan Kenobi..."


End file.
